Rheumatology: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

Extra-Articular Manifestations in Spondyloarthritis are Common and Should be Screened

Pereira IA, Neves FS and Castro GRW

Spondyloarthritis should not be considered just a group of musculoskeletal inflammatory diseases, but systemic diseases that are associated with the presence of HLA-B27 gene. In these diseases there is great diversity of events that occur at sites outside of the axial skeleton and peripheral joints. Extra-articular manifestations of spondyloarthritis include uveitis, skin lesions such as psoriasis, involvement of gastrointestinal tract characterized by inflammatory colitis and also other less common manifestations. The use of anti-TNF biological agents provides clinical improvement in most of these clinical findings. On the other hand there is a lack of evidence on the effects of these drugs on cardiac and pulmonary involvement in spondyloarthritis.